Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: The Rift in Time
by MasterOvGravity
Summary: A growing crack in the sky. A Charmander who claims to be a human-turned-Pokémon. A Bulbasaur who wants to join a famous explorer's rescue team. A Squirtle running away from his past. An Empoleon who leads the world's most renowned expedition team. And a mysterious Pokémon hell-bent on slaughtering those who resist his rule. Rated T for mild violence.
1. Prologue

**Finally. You have awakened.**

 _What? Where am I?_

 **Don't you remember?**

 _Oh, well, a little bit-actually, yes. Thank you... I guess?_

 _ **So you know what must be done. Correct?**_

 _Yes, I do._

 **Good. Now, I must ask you a series of questions.**

 _I don't remember why, but we need to hurry up! Like, now!_

 **Got it... Calm down!** **I'm hurrying up. So, the first question: Do you consider yourself to have lots of not-so-close friends or just a few close ones?**

 _Straight to the point, aren't you? I have a few close ones, though I also have some not so close ones too so I'd just like to point out that this system is flawed._

 **I know but this is just a one-time thing**

 _Oh yeah... I forgot._

 **And that answered my next question-**

 _Which was?_

 **If remembering every piece of information you hear was very important to you or of little importance compared to other necessities, but that information is of little importance.**

 _Well I believe that I remember nearly every piece of information I hear... I think? Oh, whatever. Carry on._

 **Next, do you act differently around your friends?**

 _Uh... Yes. Yes, I do. Also, as a side-note, why are we rushing through this again?_

 **Well they are currently breaking down the doors of the palace we are currently seeking refuge inside of so we need to send you on your way before they make it down here.**

 _I'm pretty sure I can handle myself, though..._

 **Except your in your weakened state, which means you'd be more of a liability than an asset.**

 _Wow. Thanks for that boost of confidence._

 **You're welcome, my friend!**

 _I was being sarcastic..._

 **...**

 _Okay, I surrender! You win! You can continue now!_

 **Good. Finally, would you sacrifice your life for the lives of others?**

 _Uh... I have to tell the truth, right?_

 **Yes, you do.**

 _Umm... I feel really bad for saying this, but I'm not sure I'd actually be able to give my life if it came down to it. I feel like I'd try, but..._

 **It's alright. I never cared much for thought-provoking, character-testing questions anyway. So now the questions have finished. I assume you want to know your results, right?**

 _Yeah, I do._

 **Alright, you are... Different.**

Different in a good way or a bad one?

 **That's the thing. I'm not sure yet. But I do know you have the will to conquer adversity even in the darkest of times. You are a person with a close to perfect moral compass, but fear seems to control the way you act in the direst of situations.**

 _Alright, alright. I'll have to fix that._

 **Later... But first, I need to know, which of the extremes would you rather, hot or cold?**

 _Well, I kind of have a very high tolerance for heat but I still like winter more than Summer. At least I get to wear a coat. So I'm going to have to choose cold._

 **Got it. Now, you just have to answer one last question, then we can wrap up here.**

 _What?_

 **Which of these forms do you which to take?**

 _Umm... That one, I guess._

 **This? Are you sure? What about this one? It leaks trash and-**

 _Seriously? Why would I want to take the form of a bag of garbage? It literally- you know what? Nevermind. Whatever._

 **But could you just explain why you want this one? I mean, why walk on two legs when you can walk on four?**

 _Because it's on fire!_

 **But during rainstorms-**

 _It. Turns. Into. A. Dragon._

 **But what about this one?**

 _Stop trying to convince me! It's not going to work?_

 **But I thought... Never mind.**

 _Whatever... Well... What now?_

 **Wait! I nearly forgot! So before you go, I'm supposed to give you this item. It'll help you with something in the future... Whenever that may be.**

 _Wow... Thanks a lot for not knowing anything._

 **Was that sarcasm?**

 _No! Yes! Whatever. Both! Just... Just ignore what I just said. What now?_

 **To be honest, it looks like you're ready to go. I'm going to have to erase all of your memories... But you will retain a memory of this photo of your future companion. You must find him.**

And all of a sudden, his mind drew a blank. Who was he talking to? Was he talking to someone? Who was he?

Without a moment more to think about his predicament, the world faded into darkness, but a single thought remained.

...

Who am I?

* * *

 _MasterOvGravity Presents..._

 _..._

 **Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: The Rift in Time**


	2. Chapter 1 - The Lizard of Fire

_Special thanks to heeldigger for pointing out some of my spelling and grammar mistakes in the previous chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

~(E)~

A lone silhouette trudged through the snow late that night. Being an evolved Pokémon didn't help the fact that it was freezing in the icy region he was currently exploring. The Empoleon sighed, tired. Instead of resting, he trudged onwards. He had to find that Squirtle. There was no telling how far that Pokemon would have gotten with a headstart like that.

The emperor Pokemon groaned in frustration. He needed to find that kid and bring him back. Even he was barely holding out in the cold. His stubby, webbed feet moved sluggishly through the snow. He was tiring. It was normal, especially since he hadn't eaten for a couple of days.

The kid was tough. Definitely. Especially to be holding out in such a storm. He turned his flippers to steel to help against the cold. It didn't help much. He was still cold.

The penguin squinted. Had he already reached the nearest Ampharos lighthouse? It felt like he had been walking for miles but he probably wasn't even close to reaching the halfway mark of this frosty wasteland.

He passed a small village of about a dozen Weaviles and Piloswines. It wasn't all that small, but it wasn't exactly big either. It was moderately sized, with low-lying houses and a couple of tiny fishing holes scattered randomly around the area.

They greeted him and he did the same. After a few minutes of discussion, the small community confirmed that a Squirtle did, in fact, stumble through their village towards a nearby cave. He thanked them and continued onwards.

He was just about to enter the cave when he heard a familiar voice call out to him," Hey! Where have you been?"

He turned to face the Scyther," I'm looking for that Squirtle. He escaped."

"Seriously?" The Scyther frowned, confused," How? We had that new Ursaring guarding-"

"Beast. His name is beast." The penguin Pokémon murmured, interrupting his Scyther friend," And I found him unconscious next to a shattered plate. Look's like the Squirtle isn't stupid."

"Great." The Scyther grimaced, landing on the ground," So now you're looking for him?"

"Yep..." He sighed, resigned," And I bet you want to come with me. Right?"

"You've basically got it down." The Scyther chuckled slightly," So should we get going?"

Shivering, he stumbled towards the cave with the steadily growing light," Sure. It's not like we've got anything better to do anyway..."

The Scyther grinned. It was nice having friends to watch his back.

"Hey," The Empoleon chortled as they ventured into the cave, a sound foreign in the howling winds of the tundra," I'm glad you're with me."

* * *

~(S)~

Peace was a luxury.

So was warmth, hospitality and good food.

His vision was blurry and mangled. He was pretty sure that this only happened in the heat, but he guessed it was probably because he was starving and hadn't eaten for days.

 _Maybe coming here was a bad idea... What if he doesn't arrive?_

The Squirtle keeled over in the ice-ridden cave as his feeble legs gave way and he collapsed onto the cold icy floor.

 _'It feels kind of warm, actually...'_ The Squirtle thought to himself,' _Wait a minute..._ '

He looked up and came face to face with a sleeping Charmander...

 _In the cold?_ He thought _, What is a fire Pokémon doing here in such a cold environment?_

"Hello?" The Squirtle inquired," Are you okay?"

The Charmander didn't reply. Its breathing was shallow and uneven.

"Oh god..." Squirtle gulped to himself," Hey... I'm going to find something to help you, okay? Don't move... If you can."

The blue Pokémon stumbled away, desperately trying to keep himself awake. If only he could just find some food.

 _I can't save it unless I save myself first,_ He reasoned with himself before his conscience chimed in _, You're being selfish!_

He stopped thinking about his hunger after that and worked in silence, his mind occupied by random things, like what the difference between stalactites and stalagmites was.

At one point the Squirtle thought he saw an Oran Berry, but it was just a trick of the light, which was getting farther away as he desperately ventured deeper into the cave, searching for food.

The cave was coated in ice and didn't seem to be home to any Pokémon. _Strange. The only places where wild Pokémon don't live are in- wait... There's no way. Huh... It's probably just abandoned._

Then, he tripped over something. He struggled to stand afterwards but soon found a sign labelled 'dungeon ahead.'

He then collapsed and sat down in exhaustion to think.

 _It looks dark..._ He thought before remembering the faint fire on the Charmander's tail, _Hmm..._

The Squirtle picked up the sign and blundered around back to the unconscious Charmander.

He then spent an uncertain amount of time attempting to light the sign using the Charmander's tail.

After countless attempts, the sign caught on fire and Squirtle grinned," Nice..."

He turned to the unconscious Charmander who was slowly dying in the cold.

 _What do I do with him?_ The Squirtle reflected, _Ah... Wait... Damn it, Arceus! Why do you have to do this to me?_

He poked the Charmander with the burning sign before sighing and just flinging the whole thing on him. His body then became engulfed in flames.

"Come on!" The shelled Pokémon chanted urgently," Wake up!"

If the lizard heard him, it didn't show it. It lay motionless. He tried poking it. It didn't react.

The Squirtle's stomach growled.

 _Damn,_ He thought, _I'm going to starve to death by the time he wakes up..._

He didn't want to die, that was for sure. Plus, it was probably better for one of them to die than both of them. Hell! For all he knew, that Charmander might have been there to commit suicide. Plus, he really didn't want to die soon. So maybe he was being _a_ _bit_ selfish, but could you really blame him? Of all things, he was being selfless. He had tried to save the Charmander, but what he tried wasn't effective and didn't work, and now he was too weak to try again.

He staggered away from the Charmander and turned to face him one more time and whispered to no one in particular," Sorry"

The Squirtle staggered around on towards the dungeon. His head felt as if it were full of empty air and pure stupidity. He stumbled onto the first floor of the dungeon and immediately found a pile of berries sitting next to a Snorunt nest. His hunger intensified at the sight of food. Not wasting a single second, he slowly walked over to the berries and snatched one and bolted.

He instantly inhaled the berry and sighed contently, but he wanted more. He completely forgot about the Charmander. He wasn't dying of hunger anymore, but he wanted more.

He turned back, the possibility of food tantalising and close. He sighed once more before staggering back towards the dungeon while muttering to himself again," I hope they saved enough to-"

He was hit in the head by an Empoleon, who looked down on him and muttered," Smart kid... He's definitely Blastoise's."

His consciousness faded as he heard another voice exclaiming something about a dying Charmander.

* * *

~(C)~

The Charmander awoke with a jolt, staring at a completely white roof.

 _Where am I? He thought._ He tried to sit up but found that he didn't have enough strength to do so, and instead turned sideways and came face to face with an unconscious Squirtle.

"OH MY GOD!" He exclaimed," WHAT THE HELL IS _THAT_?"

The Charmander rolled sideways on the bed he was laying on in surprise and tumbled off of it, falling off with a loud 'OOF' and waking up the Squirtle.

"W-what-what just happened?" It groaned, rubbing its head in pain. There was a purple-ish bruise there.

"Oww!" The blue turtle winced as it reaches up to rub his head and brought his hand back down quickly to check if his head was bleeding. It wasn't, but that was a normal response to pain.

Throughout all of this, the Charmander remained quiet, unnoticed by the Squirtle. He tried crawling away, but the Squirtle caught sight of something moving out of the corner of his eye, and focused on it," Wait... Y-you're-"

"W-wait a second..." The Charmander stated, reaching his hand as if to keep away the talking creature. He flailed his hand, but he couldn't help but notice that there was something different about them...

 _Wait..._ He thought to himself

"OH MY GOD MY HAND! WHERE DID ALL MY FINGERS GO?" He yelled out, flailing around like an idiot.

"A-are you al-alright?" The Squirtle asked, stumbling backwards and stuttering on his words.

The Charmander grimaced," If being turned into a creature with orange hands and only three fingers-"

"Charmander. You're a Charmander. Also, are you suffering from memory loss?" The Squirtle joked awkwardly.

"Uh, yes. Well, no. Yes but not in the way you believe. I definitely don't remember being a Charmander or any other on..."

"Pokémon?" The Squirtle offered.

"Uh... Yeah... A Pokémon." The lizard murmured," I don't remember ever being one of those. In fact, I was actually a human, so if you could-"

"Wait... You think you're a human, huh? Wow..." The Squirtle trailed off.

"Yeah?" The Charmander asked.

"What's your name, Charmander?" He replied.

"I don't... I don't exactly remember..." He answered uncertainly.

The Squirtle looked at him, clearly unconvinced," Okay, look. I've humoured you and listened to your nonsense, but I was hoping you'd stop making things up by now. Come on, man! There have been hundreds of Pokémon who pretended to be humans just for attention. I can't even remember the last time an actual human showed up here. Now drop the act!"

"I'm not acting!" The lizard defended himself, getting quite agitated himself," I-I can prove it!"

The Squirtle crossed his stubby arms and watched," Sure. Go ahead."

The Charmander then sat at a loss. What could he do to prove he was a human? "Uh... I don't know..."

"See? You don't have any proof! The only peculiar thing is that you were lying there in a cold cave. How you got there is beyond me, but it's really weird..." The shelled Pokémon trailed off.

"Can you take me there?" The Charmander asked.

The Squirtle shrugged, "Eh, whatever. It's not like I have anything else to do. Sure, but first we have to stock up on supplies. I think they have some in this medbay."

"Thanks." The Charmander replied.

They both walked towards a cabinet stocked with supplies, including a blanket which was made of thick wool.

"This'll keep you warm!" The Squirtle cheered, passing the blanket over to the Charmander.

Unsure, the Charmander pointed to another one," I'm going to need that one too."

Exasperated, the turtle Pokémon flung his stubby arms into the air," Sure! Whatever! It isn't as if we're wasting time!"

* * *

~(S)~

After the painstakingly long time it took for the duo to prepare the Charmander to make his way through the frosty tundra, they embarked. However, they got about a couple of feet into the desert when the Charmander complained," It's so cold! How much longer?"

Irritated, the blue Pokémon shot him a look that silenced him and trudged onwards, the Charmander reluctantly following him, groaning about how he should have worn something on his feet.

The place they were walking in was just one massive, icy wasteland, completely devoid of anything else other than the freezing cold storm that never seemed to end.

The Squirtle voiced his thoughts to the Charmander, just as the storm subsided.

"It's definitely cold, but there isn't a storm, otherwise I probably would still be freezing right now..." The Charmander had said. The blue turtle huffed in agitation and kept quiet for a while after that.

After a while, the Charmander decided to speak to the Squirtle - mostly since he wanted to be distracted from his aching legs - and caught up with him," So... What's your name?"

The Squirtle didn't spare a glance and nonchalantly replied," Squirtle."

"But isn't that what your species is?" The Charmander asked, feeling relatively confused.

"Well," Squirtle replied," We usually just go by our species names unless a new Pokémon of the same species shows up. Then, we usually just call the newbie a part of our species name, for example 'Squirt'.

"Oh." The Charmander replied," That's nice! I don't remember mine..."

Squirtle cracked a small smile," Then I'll call you... Uh... Squirt. We'll have matching names!"

"How does that even-whatever. You're very creative." He deadpanned sarcastically," Try another one. You just said it was usually my species name, so just call me-"

"Firey?" Squirtle suggested.

"No." The Charmander rolled his eyes as he walked alongside Squirtle," Listen. I said you should probably call me-!"

Squirtle, who was running out of ideas, tried again," What about... Charmander? Nah-"

"No. Actually... It's pretty good." The Charmander complimented Squirtle, before muttering to yourself," Plus, it's the one I was trying to tell you I wanted for the last minute."

"What?" Squirtle asked, slightly confused," Oh whatever. Well, better get used to the name, Charmander."

Charmander smiled," Sure, Squirtle."

And the two of them kept on walking. Just two Pokémon walking together, one of which with a flaming tail, in a sea of ice.

* * *

~(B)~

An ecstatic and energetic Bulbasaur ran from Pokémon, asking them all the same question," Have you seen a Squirtle recently? No? Okay, thanks anyway!"

He rushed to a nearby Ludicolo and asked him," Have you seen a Squirtle recently? You haven't? Oh, that's fine!"

The Bulbasaur kept on repeating this process, constantly racing around town, asking all of the Pokémon in the area

He stopped a Pokémon who was completely covered in a brown robe, "Hello, what kind of Pokémon are y-"

He froze.

No.

way.

A Ninetales.

To say they were rare was an understatement.

He stuttered, eyes sparkling with wonder and curiosity, "I-I-You-Ninet-"

She muttered, "Shh."

Smirking coyly, the Ninetales adjusted her robe and spun, taking off into the distance.

He was about to follow her when he heard it.

"I've seen a Squirtle!" He heard a voice call out. He instantly turned to the voice, ran towards it, and then immediately stopped, gobsmacked.

Standing before him was none other than the leader of the most famous rescue team in the world and by his side, his co-commander - a Scyther with wickedly sharp scythes on his arms.

Said Empoleon stepped up to him and smiled warmly," Good afternoon, young Bulbasaur. I am-"

"Sir Empoleon the third, heir to the throne and leader of 'The Finders'! Ooh! And you're Scyther, right?"

Scyther grinned toothily," Yep. That would be me."

"My, my..." Empoleon grinned," Someone has done their research. What might your name be?"

"Wow..." The Bulbasaur trailed off and bowed," I'm Bulbasaur, and it's an honour to be in your presence."

Empoleon opened his beak to speak, but was cut off my Bulbasaur quickly adding," By the way, could you maybe sign my bulb? Oh, wait... If you don't mind me asking, what was I talking about again?"

Empoleon gave a hearty laugh and smiled," You were asking about a Squirtle, I believe."

"Oh, yeah... I need to find him. Do you happen to know where he is?" Bulbasaur asked, bouncing around on his four feet.

The emperor Pokémon smirked," I believe he ran off into a tundra along with a Charmander. Actually... Would you like to join me in looking for them?"

"Oh!" The Bulbasaur grinned widely. Words could not describe the feeling of adrenaline and amazement he felt. He'd just been given the opportunity of a lifetime. He felt overwhelmed - so much so that his legs gave way and he started giggling to himself madly.

Bemused, the penguin cracked a faint smile as he casually plucked up the hysterical Bulbasaur, placed him on his shoulder and marched towards the tundra, Scyther flying alongside him.

* * *

~(C)~

Icy stalactites littered the cave's ceiling. Those stood out in the cold cavern they wandered in. He felt as if the cave walls were the throat of a beast, and he had just been swallowed. Feeling as if he was going to be crushed, Charmander hurried to a more open section of the cave.

The duo went about half-a-dozen meters into the cave when Squirtle, for some reason, started hyperventilating.

"Are you all right? Oh my god, are you having a heart attack?" He questioned Squirtle, hoping that wasn't the case, however unlikely it seemed. He didn't know if people and Pokémon suffered from similar diseases and the likes.

"Squirtle?" The Squirtle wasn't replying; Charmander gulped and started shaking him frantically," Squirtle? Squirtle!"

 _What if he dies?_ Charmander thought as he continued shaking Squirtle, his paranoia creeping in, _What am I going to do? Where am I supposed to-_

"I'm fine," Squirtle interrupted, pulling Charmander off of him," I'm not going to die or anything."

"Then why were you breathing so heavily?" Charmander questioned, walked deeper into the cave.

Squirtle shrugged," I don't know..."

"Okay." Charmander responded when he felt the atmosphere change.

"Did you... Just... Feel that?" Charmander asked hesitantly.

"Uh..." Squirtle sighed, obviously irritated, as he " Yeah, and I don't like what it means..."

Charmander saw the worry on Squirtle's face and immediately assumed the worst," What? How bad is it?"

"So... There are these things that rescue and explorer teams are usually paid to go into." He almost-inaudibly explained," They're pretty bad. Some Pokémon who enter them never come out, and others are confirmed dead."

"And?" Charmander asked, relatively impatiently," What does that have to do with this?"

"Charmander," Squirtle explained, his face null of any other emotions except fear and worry," I think we're in one."


	3. Chapter 2 - The Mystery Dungeon

**Chapter 2**

~(C)~

 **Frosty Caverns 1F**

"What?" Charmander squinted at Squirtle, bewildered, "When did we even enter it?"

Looking blue both figuratively and literally, Squirtle paled, wincing in a way that suggested that he did something wrong as he did so, "They're called Mystery Dungeons, and they're supposed to be very hard to spot. I think that someone might have invented something to detect them, but we don't have one so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. To answer your question, I'm not sure... We could enter one and we'd have no idea until it was too late, unless someone left a visual clue or sign that there was one up ahead."

"And was there?" the orange, bipedal Pokémon questioned his knowledgeable friend.

"There was..." a scarlet blush especially evident against his blue skin, Squirtle gulped, "Until I used it to feed the fire on your tail. I forgot that it had been there until now."

He frowned, pausing for a second before continuing as if the ensuing action were incredibly difficult and demeaning. Meanwhile, Charmander responded, leading to them speaking over each other.

"No problem."

"Sorry."

 _Makes sense..._ Charmander watch as Squirtle fumbled, who looked slightly nervous. _I mean, if a Charmander's tail flame were to go out, then it would die, right? I guess you could say that he saved my life._

"Oh, it's alright..." Charmander trailed off, thoughts swirling, "I-uh... well, what about if we just... _walked_ back out?"

"I mean," He continued before Squirtle could answer, "It's not like it's not an option... and maybe if we just-"

The lizard pivoted around as he spoke, gesturing with his hands before he froze, eyes wide, "You know..."

"Yeah..." Squirtle interjected, trailing off and cutting Charmander's train of thought abruptly, "About that..."

Shaking his head in denial, the fire type turned to the sound of his friend's voice, a question and baffled look both evident on his face, "W-what?"

Squirtle gave him a pitying look, one that was attempting to appear grim yet betraying the amusement written all over his face in permanent marker.

"W-where did it go?" Charmander demanded, desperate to know what in the world was going on.

"Well... in these dungeons, once you enter, you can't leave unless you clear it, or you get knocked out, in which case you're effectively ejected from the dungeon."

Charmander stared at him, despair etched into his face like a chiselled statue.

"However..." The tiny turtle Pokémon said,

"Yes?" Charmander butted in, allowing just a sliver of hope to creep into his voice.

Squirtle continued, "There are these orb things, and if we can find one of them, then we can use one to escape the Mystery Dungeon, but they're kind of hard to find. I think we can do it though."

Doubtful, Charmander eyed Squirtle quizzically," Are you sure?"

"Umm..." Squirtle answered after several lost seconds, uncertainty evident in his eyes," I mean... I'm pretty sure that it is. I've only been in one, so I'm not sure how common the-AH!"

Squirtle leapt backwards in alarm as a Swinub barreled past him.

"Yeah. This is a mystery dungeon." Squirtle answered, spinning around to face his attacker. Unsure of what to do, Charmander stood by idly, one arm over his hastily packed gear defensively, hoping Squirtle had the situation handled, as he was not only unsure of how to react but also of how to defend himself.

Erupting from Squirtle's mouth, a jet of water shot towards the Swinub, narrowly missing it.

"Would you mind helping?" Squirtle spun around to ask Charmander before he went tumbling, the Swinub managing to tackle him to the ground.

Breaking out of his stupor, Charmander hurried over to Squirtle. Not knowing what to do, Charmander resorted to raking his claws across the Swinub's snout, quickly swelling with pride once his claws left the Swinub's snout. He had done it! He had taken down a Pokémon! Charmander was ecstatic. So much so that he didn't notice the Swinub getting up, nor did he notice it charging towards him until it rammed into his gut, sending him flying.

Head spinning and body incapacitated, Charmander could only observe as the Swinub tentatively approached him, its beady eyes carefully watching, not daring to make a move until it was sure that Charmander was unable to defend himself. Squirtle was still recovering, but for the most part, he seemed okay; the blue Pokémon stared expectantly at Charmander as if he expected him to do something. It looked like Charmander was on his own. The Swinub, thinking that it was victorious against the two amateur dungeon explorer, proceeded to rummage through a bag that Charmander had hastily stuffed with supplies for their journey.

"Hey!" Charmander yelled in anger, "Get away from our stuff!"

Struggling to move, he managed to send a small puff of smoke in the Swinub's general direction, momentarily alarming it.

However, the Swinub continued, now consuming the duo's food supply. Berries and deformed tart slices flew left, right and centre. As if it were attempting to taunt Charmander, the Swinub spun around while consuming a tart, leaving Charmander's paralysed body frozen and forcing him to watch as it ravenously gobbled up his sustenance.

Enraged, Charmander's anger and hubris built inside him, a scowl forming on his face as he growled in anticipation as he fantasised over what he would do to the best when he recovered. Those feelings of anger and jealousy manifesting itself into a burning ball of pure hatred. Then, a small ball of fire erupted from his throat and exploded on the Swinub's face, causing it to squeal in pain. It flew back a few feet but was otherwise unharmed. Angered by Charmander, the Swinub spun and a ball of mud was launched at Charmander's face.

"Stop!" He continued, the mud blocking his field of vision, leaving him boiling with rage, wiping his eyes in a desperate attempt to swiftly undo the adverse effects of being blinded by an explosive ball of mud. He attempted to claw at the Pokémon - a futile attempt at its best.

Fortunately, Squirtle finally regained his consciousness and swiped at the Swinub. Squealing, the feral Pokémon

Charmander, unsure of the current state of the Swinub, hesitantly asked, "Uh... is it..."

"Dead?" Squirtle finished his sentence, "No. Just unconscious."

"Oh." The lizard replied shortly.

Not a single word was exchanged between them for the next few hours, the two journeyed deeper into the depths of the dungeon.

"Hey, Squirtle!" Charmander exclaimed excitedly, "What's this?"

Hurriedly, Squirtle stumbled over, wobbling awkwardly as he tried to balance the heavy bag of equipment on his back, "It looks like a staircase. This is our way out of the Mystery Dungeon!"

Charmander nodded, making sure to take notes in case he was ever in such a situation again but said nothing, only following Squirtle down the stairwell.

* * *

 **Frosty Caverns 2F**

"So I have a question." Charmander professed, slowing down to match Squirtle's current pace.

"Sure." Squirtle shrugged indifferently, "Shoot."

Scratching his head, Charmander probed his fellow Pokémon, "Why are we heading downwards? Aren't we heading deeper into the ground?"

"Huh..." Squirtle responded, relatively lost himself, "I never thought of that. I mean... mystery dungeons are supposed to be spatial as well as temporal anomalies... so I guess that's why? I honestly don't know."

"That's alright," Charmander waved him off, "I don't expect you to know _everything_!"

Squirtle smirked slightly, "Thanks. Now let's get out of here, shall we?"

Nodding, Charmander replied, a toothy grin framed on his face, "Yeah. Let's go."

Hesitation was key when they spotted any items which were dispersed across the cave floor. Primitive as they were, some wild Pokémon were still intelligent enough to set decent traps. Nothing too sophisticated, but clever enough that some fell for some of the tricks, just as Charmander nearly did the first time. Squirtle, however, had not, and had come to the rescue once again after Charmander had nearly fallen into a pit, the bottom lined with icy stalagmites, each sharpened to the point, ready to impale any unsuspecting victim that happened to come across the trap. They had lost one of their bags there and with it some of their supplies. This prompted Charmander to let Squirtle take the reigns, and instead stay back and watch for more traps carefully, as he fell behind, his eyes dashing around manically whenever they entered a new section of the floor as he let his paranoia consume him.

"Hey, look, another one." Charmander pointed out, frowning slightly.

"Yeah..." Squirtle answered distantly.

"This doesn't seem right." Charmander squinted slightly, spotting a sliver of movement in the corner of his eye, drawing his attention, "It's like..."

"Like what?" Squirtle asked, ever-so-slightly interested in what his companion had to say.

Charmander looked around but the being had disappeared. Still paranoid, Charmander decided to fully involve himself in the conversation, deciding that it showed that he respected Squirtle enough to give him his full attention, "Like... Like something intelligent is making these. I mean, why would there be so many traps everywhere? It's not like a feral Pokémon would make all these, because I'm sorry, but this doesn't seem like something they would do and-"

"It _is_ possible that a wild Pokémon could have done this." Squirtle added unhelpfully.

Charmander frowned, frustrated and uncertain, "Wha-"

"I mean," Squirtle continued, having some trouble explaining. They had stopped walking for no real reason, other than so that they could demonstrate that they were both engaged with the conversation, "It's pretty unlikely that that could happen, but it's entirely possible. I mean, some 'wild' Pokémon" Squirtle made it clear that the word 'wild' was to be considered with a pinch of salt, "Ended up being normal ones like you and me who decided to run away and hide out in a dungeon. Of course, for many of them, their common sense and any form of formality deteriorated along with their sanity after years of living in one."

Charmander - who was getting increasingly confused by what Squirtle was talking about - began to notice that he was getting lightheaded and nauseous, but decided not to comment about it. It wasn't bad anyway. He'd ask Squirtle about it later.

With luck, they would be out soon and his mysterious new friend would be able to help me get back to... wherever he lived.

* * *

 **Frosty Caverns 3F**

Onwards, towards... something. Squirtle was heading somewhere, Charmander just wasn't sure where, but he honestly couldn't care less. He didn't want to admit it, but all he cared about was getting back to his old life - Squirtle was nice and he enjoyed his company, but they weren't friends by any means. In another life, he might have wanted to befriend his companion, but they had completely different objectives and goals in their mutually beneficial relationship (at least Charmander thought so since he needed to get back to being a human and Squirtle was seemingly running away from something - home perhaps? - and while Charmander was, granted, slightly concerned, and wondering why he would need to since he didn't see the need to divulge any further, it wasn't any of his business and he wasn't going to just his compatriot just because he feels the need to escape from whatever prison he was living in.).

He worried that perhaps Squirtle thought that he was taking advantage of him, but that couldn't be the case - Squirtle accompanied him on his own accord, and by doing so make a voluntary decision help him as he tried to get back to his old life.

He briefly wondered what his old life before he became a Pokémon was like. Was he just a regular person? A criminal? He didn't know, and he wouldn't until he returned but the more that he mulled it over, the more anxious he became.

What if, the moment he arrived back in the human world, he was arrested for a crime that he committed.

What if he was a scientist working on a secret project to communicate with Pokémon, and him returning meant that all of their research was useless.

"Why?"

Squirtle raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

It was a question. He wanted to know what Charmander desired to know, "Why didn't we encounter any more Pokémon in that last floor?"

"Because," Squirtle began, his tone making it clear that the answer was obvious, "They're wild Pokémon. They're unintelligent, and they don't just track explorers, they happen upon them. We didn't see any on the last floor because we weren't unfortunate enough to stumble upon one."

He wanted to say something to Squirtle - ached to. The silence between them was devastating. Charmander had known Squirtle for a little over a day and yet, walking in what should have been comfortable silence ended up being exactly the opposite.

He twiddled his none-opposable-fingers (since he didn't have thumbs) and looked around, observing the cavern around him as he trudged onwards. The make-up of the dungeon was very interesting, as the cavern was made up of multiple floors, each connected by a single rectangular hole that allowed a staircase to connect each expanse, creating an inverted tower of sorts. It was strange, to say the least, what with the natural formation of the multiple floors with the ground being completely levelled, and that was discluding the stairs in their entirety, which were a completely different material to anything within the rest of the dungeon and acted as the only thing bridging together each floor. There was absolutely no way that the formation was a natural occurrence, and from Squirtle's reaction, not an uncommon one either, which begged the question: who was making them?

He was taken from his contemplative state as he noticed his friend growing increasingly indignant, likely from his bad luck, as they kept going down their path, taking only one or two turns as they failed to find anything that was worth their time. He continued observing, their misfortune seeming more and more like a joke to Charmander, who could only watch in amusement as Squirtle lead them both into a dead end.

He tried to refrain from laughing, he really did, but alas, all attempts at preserving Squirtle's dignity fell futile.

The tiny turtle Pokémon groaned loudly in frustration, and in a miniature fit of rage stormed off past Charmander, only to double back and rush towards the rock face in front of him and kick it with all his might, a move that was, in hindsight, probably something Charmander should have stopped, but he stood by, watching in stunned fascination as his friend ran at the jagged rocks that blocked their progress in the direction they were going and, with his left foot, kicked at the wall, the result being a sickening crunch as Squirtle fell onto his back from the momentum he had generated, where he landed on his shell and, awkwardly rocking back and forth on said shell as it spun slightly, squealed in shock, the pain from his likely sprained toe registering seconds later, something that Charmander was made aware of with the help of his deduction skills, which helped him deduce that screaming profanities at the top of your lungs after kicking a wall was likely to hurt just a bit - and the large bruise on his aggravated skin along with his swollen hallux.

"Hey. Are you alright?"

Charmander immediately felt uncomfortable asking since Squirtle certainly didn't look fine, especially with tears pricking at the sides of his friend's face, but it was a reflex, likely a habit from his life as a human that had been carried over to his current one.

Squirtle grimaced and grunted in amusement, "Of course I a-"

He attempted to stand, but immediately fell with an audible 'oof', "Of course I'm not."

Charmander frowned. This made getting out of the dungeon (mostly) unharmed relatively difficult.

"Well that makes things just a _little_ bit more difficult, now doesn't it?"

Squirtle winced at that, his toe throbbing just a little bit more than before, "I-I guess it does."

"How many more floors?" Charmander breathed, moving to help Squirtle reach a standing position while leaning against a rock wall. If there were any more after this then they might-

"I don't know."

Charmander stumbled, "What?"

"I-" Squirtle took a breath, it looked like he was having a panic attack, "I've never been in this dungeon before."

Charmander felt hope - a dangerous emotion he hated himself for feeling. Maybe things would be alright... maybe, just maybe...

Seeing that Charmander wasn't catching on, he continued, "There could be anywhere from one to ten more floors after this one, possibly more. Each dungeon has a different amount of floors, and each one tends to be just like the last."

He realised that he had unconsciously sucked in his breath, "W-We might be stuck here."

And for the second time that day, Charmander felt his heart sink, any previous feelings of hope shattered in an instant into fragments and shards that rained down from above like teardrops from the stars.

* * *

~(B)~

 **Frosty Caverns 1F**

"Are you sure that they came this way?" Scyther asked Empoleon as they walked purposefully through the dungeon, looking around as if there was something that they were supposed to be looking for.

Bulbasaur could only watch from afar, staring in awe at his hero. This was all he had ever dreamed of. There were hundreds-no thousands of Pokémon who would _kill_ to be in the position that he was in right now. He should say something, anything. He should introduce himself properly. All he had done was give them his name. He should have included his home address and his birthday. _What was he doing?!_ He couldn't waste this opportunity. He had to do something. He didn't even care what - just something.

At the time, it hadn't fully sunk in just what he was doing, but now it was all coming to him full force, and the shock was explosive. He felt like he was about to burst - like a supercharged Pichu cranked up to a million volts bouncing around in a cage. It felt like he was going to burst, and when he did, he was going to explode. He was on the verge of self-combusting and being completely engulfed in a massive explosion - one that would put even a Turtonator to shame (he didn't know any, but he imagined that if he knew a Turtonator that it wouldn't take too kindly to him combusting for the sake of one-upping him).

He muttered to himself rapidly, thoughts swirling and condensing. Mumbling a storm as he walked, head angled downwards, Bulbasaur was vaguely aware of Empoleon and Scyther turning to stare at him as they walked.

Empoleon... he was just... amazing. He was a symbol, above all others. Bulbasaur recalled countless nights under the cover of the night as his brother told stories of wondrous acts of heroism and doing amazing, impossible things - well at least, they had seemed impossible. He had danced under the stars that night, imagining that he was the unstoppable Empoleon, saving innocent Pokémon from anything and anyone.

And Scyther! The ever-dependable, resourceful and quick-witted second-in-command of 'The Finders', always keeping a cool head, even when Empoleon couldn't. Empoleon had risen to the top, becoming a fan favourite in the rescue, but Scyther had been there with him every step of the way. It was common knowledge that even though Empoleon had taken the world by storm, he wouldn't have even come close if it weren't for the people around him - Scyther included.

He didn't know why he had frozen up.

He remembered staying

He didn't want to do anything to make them uncomfortable - he wanted to make the best first impression possible.

"So..." Bulbasaur's throat went dry.

 _Damnit. Why is this happening to me? Just... Say something smart, something witty. Make 'em laugh. Tell 'em a joke - wait no, on second thoughts-_

"Do you guys, like, eat other Pokémon? You know, 'cause you're carnivores..."

 _...What?_

He immediately flushed scarlet and promptly froze up, eyes widening as he mumbled a quiet 'just a thought' and descended into a state of complete embarrassment and situational unawareness, forcing his eyes to the ground and clamping his mouth shut.

 _What. was. that?_

Bulbasaur gulped, sweating profusely, and lowered his head, wallowing in shame. What the hell? Out of all the things... why does this kind of thing have to happen to him now?

 _This adventure is going to be the death of me._

 **... ... ...**

"Hey, Empoleon. Take a look at this."

Bulbasaur glanced skywards, over to where Scyther was hovering slightly, Empoleon trudging over to see what he was talking about.

He had previously been lost in his thoughts. Among them were a couple of questions. Questions like: 'Where exactly was Squirtle?' and 'Who is this Charmander that Empoleon is talking about?'.

He still didn't know the answer to either question, but he could already tell that he would probably get at least one answer soon - he could feel it.

Then, he remembered what had happened not even ten minutes ago, and immediately went red in the face.

Instead of indulging himself, he instead decided to look over to see what the two explorers were doing.

Empoleon grimaced, "This... something happened here; a fight occurred here."

Scyther nodded, his wings slowing their movement until they eventually came to a stop and he landed with a small thud, "There are some half-eaten berries nearby. Those might be this little guy's stuff, though. What do you think?"

Empoleon stared at the unconscious Swinub, deep in thought. Bulbasaur observed him as he did so. Empoleon eyes narrowed and he seemed to glare at the Pokémon. He looked so... intense and confident and-

"SWI-" The unconscious Swinub was now very much conscious and leapt up at Empoleon, who stumbled backwards and nimbly twisted to the side, turning to watch the Swinub leap past him in alarm. It looked pretty angry, and there was already some snow gathering near its face as it flew in the air. The snow seemed to become a multitude of snowballs, forming quickly as they swirled around the Swinub, who seemed to be heading towards...

 _Oh, wait._

"AH!" Bulbasaur exclaimed, a pair of vines flying out from his bulb to protect him from the incoming impact... or impacts.

"NUB!"

The individual snowballs travelled as a singular unit, all converging upon Bulbasaur. He was powdered by the onslaught and struggled, even with his vines, to defend himself against the hurtling projectiles. He tried his best to manoeuvre his vines around to block every snowball, but the gust of cold wind flew past his vines - they could try but they couldn't block the air as it simply glanced off of each vine and continued on its path - and battered his body, shocking him and forcing his vines back in surprise for just a moment, but that was all they needed. He had dropped his defences and that was all that was needed for the snow to breach his defences and batter his body with a constant stream of snowballs, each heavy and dense. Each collision was like a punch, pushing him backwards and eventually onto the ground, his legs giving out, and even with using his vines to block as many as he could, he was already panicking and he wasn't in control of the situation anymore. He sniffed in defiance and felt something wet slide down his face. Whether it was his blood or his tears, he couldn't tell for sure.

Once the onslaught finally ended, he moved to get up, his vines raised cautiously in the air and his eyes widening as he saw another flurry of snowballs primed for use, about to fly at him, but Empoleon got there first, sliding in front of Bulbasaur with his flipper raised, knees braced, and grunted as he took the attack head-on.

Bulbasaur squinted, unable to discern much in the flurry and squall of snow. He winced and stumbled, eyes watering slightly. He could barely see Empoleon's flipper glowing and turning into steel or Scyther soundlessly fluttering over behind the Swinub, blades raised to-

 _Wait a minute._

"Wait, no!"

Bulbasaur's words died on his lips as the decapitated head of the Swinub flew at him, and he stumbled backwards in surprise, eyes wide and vines flying. He swatted the head away, not caring where it ended up, however it seemed that Empoleon didn't like to have a Swinub's face hanging from his beak.

His lunch decided to take the easy way out.

* * *

 **Frosty Caverns 2F**

"So..."

Scyther looked up from the map he was drawing.

"Yes?"

Bulbasaur gulped, "Seriously though, what do you guys like to eat?"

Empoleon raised an eyebrow but didn't do anything to reject his question

"I don't know-"

"Well..." Empoleon cut Scyther off, "A healthy serving of fish is vital for the upkeep of my mind and body - especially with my species in general."

Bulbasaur nodded, taking note of his hero's dietary habits on a small notebook hidden in his bulb, as well as a quill and took everything down, nodding and writing furiously, his vine almost smouldering from the speed at which he appraised his hero's lifestyle.

"That's pretty cool. What about you Scyther?"

Bulbasaur sweatdropped when he realised that he had attempted addressing his heroes on a first-name basis. His eyes widened and he was about to apologise when Scyther responded.

"Berries are always welcome and I love spicy berries in particular."

Bulbasaur was already writing furiously before Scyther even got the chance to respond.

Empoleon joined in, "Oh, yes. I thoroughly enjoy having sweet berries whenever the chance presents itself. Pecha berries are probably my favourite - simple and sweet. It's a delectable treat and I never turn down an offer when I receive one.

Nodding to himself, Bulbasaur quickly flipped through the pages, his vines working in tandem to jot down notes and flick the pages back and forth.

Bulbasaur noticed that Scyther spared a knowing glance at Empoleon, who grinned and muttered, "Fans."

He blushed at that, burying himself in his notes and descending into a hurricane of thoughts and drabbles.

 **... ... ...**

"We'll rest here." Empoleon breathed, not even the slightest bit tired, but conscious that Bulbasaur had been walking for a while.

The Seed Pokémon in question sighed and instantly felt his legs give out, "Thanks."

Empoleon nodded curtly in return and gently set down his equipment, Scyther doing the same.

Bulbasaur stared at the uneven stone opposite him, a thin layer of ice coating the top of most of the surfaces upon it. The stone itself shone like it had been polished, and yet it retained its rugged, naturally-formed texture.

He let his thoughts wander. He felt a bit out of place right now - there was no denying it. He felt like the odd man out. Empoleon and Scyther had known each other for years, had worked together for years, had trusted each other for years. And yet, here he was, one of many, intruding on the bond that was tempered over many years through hardship, tragedy and brotherhood. They had suffered through many losses together, many close friends and comrades losing their lives for their cause, and had come out of it stronger, closer, unbreakable.

'The Finders' as a group were a collective symbol, inspiring fear in the corrupt and hope in the bright-eyed youth. They had adventured with each other for years and had become an unstoppable force in the process, completely trusting one another. Their senior members - the ones that had been there when the group was initially formed, back when they weren't even recognised as a real rescue team - were even more so. They'd likely give their lives for each other - had given their lives for each other. It was hard for anyone - even the second-rated team - to even begin to compare themselves to the likes of Scyther and Empoleon. Those who had the audacity to often made fools out of themselves - after all, what feat could even begin to measure up to exploits of that calibre?

Somewhere deep in his heart, he knew that he could never hope to reach their level of influence and skill. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, the mark of a hero wasn't something that you could learn to have, it was something that you were born with.

And yet... here he was, prancing around a dungeon (albeit a relatively lower level one), acting as if he was one of them, talking to them like he was one of them, fighting alongside them as if he were one of them.

He felt sick.

What did they think of him? Did they see a spoilt child who demands what he wants and gets it? A reckless fool who couldn't stay out of trouble? A handicap who couldn't do anything except being a burden?

He felt his eyes begin to burn and felt his vision begin to obscure.

So he stopped thinking about it. Pushed any feelings of inadequacy to the back of his mind. He felt an uneasy smile find its way onto his face - he would do it! He'd become a hero, no matter what anybody says. He'd save lives and rescue people just like Empoleon. He just needed to try a little bit harder.

And hold in those feelings just a little bit longer.

~(E)~

Empoleon cast a sidelong glance at Bulbasaur, who was now fast asleep, all tension leaving his body, laying on his side as his tongue lolled - he was drooling.

"Bulbasaur's asleep," Scyther noted.

Empoleon simply nodded in acknowledgement, standing against one of the rock walls, his arm crossed.

"Anything you want to say?" Scyther asked.

Empoleon shook his head slowly, his movements lazy and tired only because he hadn't slept for days.

A few minutes passed in silence. Scyther looked like there was something he wanted to say - _needed_ to say, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

So Empoleon did it for him.

"I've been stressed out recently."

He felt it.

The unspoken tension between them eased away, dissipating into the wind, the pressure around them flying away. Scyther's back straightened, his stance shifted, he cast a sidelong glance at Empoleon. Their eyes met and, for a moment, they just stared, then, Scyther averted his eyes, instead choosing to fixate his gaze on a singular point on the wall opposite to him.

"I know."

Empoleon simply nodded.

So he knew.

"You know," Empoleon smirked to himself, "Bulbasaur's been writing stuff down in that journal of his throughout the journey."

Scyther smiled slightly, "I've noticed."

He noticed that his friend's gaze seemed to linger upon Bulbasaur for a few seconds.

Scyther turned to face him, his smile small but playful, "It's very endearing. He's obsessed with us and our team. He probably wants to be a part of his own rescue team."

Empoleon nodded, his gaze unfocused. He seemed to be content with just staring at Bulbasaur and the pile of equipment they brought with them, "I wonder if he's enrolled in the Youth Development Program."

Scyther hummed, "He probably is - he's full of energy. You know who he reminds me of?"

Empoleon exhaled, "Gliscor? Yeah, we should introduce them sometime."

He knew that probably wouldn't end well - Bulbasaur and Gliscor meeting face to face, that is. He knew that Bulbasaur idolised Pokémon like him and even though that in itself was an unhealthy habit, he knew that some children just needed someone to look up to and to strive to become when times got rough. He didn't wish for any harm to come to Bulbasaur.

Which isn't to say that it wouldn't be fun watching them converse and watching Bulbasaur squirm uncomfortably.

He let out a small chuckle. Scyther, his arms crossed and still sporting a minuscule, amused smile, simply raised an eyebrow. Empoleon didn't blush - he didn't feel the need to be embarrassed, so he shrugged instead.

And just like that, their conversation ended. Empoleon didn't wish to divulge his reasons for being stressed - not at the moment, at least. He knew that Scyther knew that too and silently thanked his winged companion for not pushing the subject.

He sighed to himself. While they were relaxing, the children could be at who knows where.

There was no doubt in his mind - the children had been here.

On the way to the spot that they were currently at, they had encountered a pitfall trap - one that had already been triggered. They had peered down and found one of their bags impaled on a spike, its contents pouring out. Scyther had flown down and retrieved it for them, but the remaining contents were of little use to them.

Nevertheless, they had been there.

And Empoleon was going to find them.

* * *

 **Frosty Caverns 3F**

"This is the last floor of this particular dungeon, so keep an eye out for any unusual activity."

He saw Scyther and Bulbasaur nod - they needed to find the two children who wandered off by themselves.

Floor three was an endless series of corridors and dead-ends - at least, it felt like it. They had been wandering the floor for a long time. Too long.

It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that they were already gone.

But they weren't going to give up - not just yet.

They split up to fan the area (Bulbasaur had stayed with Scyther because he was too young to be wandering off by himself), looking for any clues that could lead them to Squirtle and his friend.

He thought back to his new companion. Bulbasaur was definitely something, that much was for sure. Empoleon wondered whether Bulbasaur's parents knew about him exploring a dungeon, and realised that he kind of just tagged along.

If he got hurt... that probably wouldn't end well.

For Empoleon.

Bulbasaur would most likely be fine. Worst case scenario: Scyther saves Bulbasaur the moment he falls under any real danger and Empoleon has to endure Bulbasaur's distraught parents screeching at him for putting their child in danger. Best case scenario: He convinces Scyther to keep quiet if something of the sort ever happens and he gets away scot-free - except Scyther would never do that. His oldest friend was loyal to a fault, but he would also never pass up a chance to make fun of or humiliate Empoleon.

He stumbled on something and was broken out of his thoughts.

There was a pile of crushed ice and he had tripped over it - next to it were two distinctly different sets of footprints. It definitely wasn't naturally formed, that much as for sure... and that meant...

"Squirtle was here," Empoleon muttered, "And that Charmander too."

Then, he noticed something.

The trail of ice seemed to stretch on, going on for so long that it looked like it round the corner and continued.

Except it didn't just seem like it - it did.

"Guys. Over here."

A few minutes of searching and calling out later, they had all rendezvoused and were now following the ice trail.

Nearly there.

They were close. Empoleon could feel it - they were nearing the end.

And yet... why did it feel like something was wrong?

He wanted them to hurry. His feet fell quicker than it would should he have been walking casually. He noticed Scyther eye him, but neither commented on it. Bulbasaur, meanwhile, was simply oblivious to it all. The pace they were walking at was slow and casual - it shouldn't have been like that but Bulbasaur's presence was all it took. He couldn't scare the boy because of some sense of urgency or danger.

"SQUIRTLE!"

All three adventurers froze, rooted in place by the voice that wasn't theirs.

Empoleon made a gesture with his flipper.

 _Quiet._

They all waited. Waited for the disembodied voice of the lost Charmander - or the voice of someone who had got to Squirtle first.

"OVER HERE!"

"This way." Empoleon darted away, beckoning the others to follow. He didn't have look to know that they were right behind him - the sound of Scyther's wings fluttering rapidly told him as much.

They burst forward as a unit, Empoleon leading them down the corridors.

"Scyther," He yelled, "Straight ahead."

He heard a 'hmph' that told him Scyther was on it, and soon Scyther was speeding ahead, his wings letting him move much faster than he was previously able to.

He glanced over his shoulder to see a struggling but determine Bulbasaur. The seed Pokémon was using his vines to move faster than he ever could, grabbing the uneven surfaces of the walls to his sides and slingshotting himself forward.

Empoleon turned a corner - nearly there. His flippers glowed, turning into a shining silver, in anticipation of any surprise attacks or unexpected situations. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bulbasaur enter and stand nervously to the side.

Then, he entered a clearing. It was covered in fog. He could barely see five feet in front of him. He stopped. Trying to navigate the fog was pointless. Instead, he saw Scyther hovering above, "Scyther."

Their eyes met and Scyther simply nodded. Scyther's wings suddenly sped up, the ensuing wind swirling around, a whirlwind forming. This caused the smoke to condense and swirl within it. Then, Scyther spun around it, and, aiming at the hallway that they had just entered from, he slashed, the smoke engulfing the corridor behind them like a wave of darkness.

Empoleon reverted his attention to the opening in front of them - reverted his attention to... bubbles.

All that was left was a few bubbles flying around.

Past that was the dungeon exit.

Empoleon knew where Squirtle and the Charmander were... or where they weren't.

He knew one thing for sure though.

They were gone.


End file.
